11pm -To move now, or not to move now? That is the question.
The question actually is, whether to stay at Guava Gardens. In my very comfortable and easy living apartment. Or move to Diamond Valley RV Park for several months. And then move again, to Jojoba Hills.

Good friend Pete, and Reader Granbo, turned me on to this question. And it a very good question too!

11:30pm -Set alarm for bed time
To 11:50pm. No more of this bedtime at 1am, 2am, 3am or ?

Some clarification from a Jojobian: The $30,000 +/- membership (the $1000 deposit is applied to the membership cost) is REFUNDABLE when you leave the park (if you croak here, it goes to your heirs)...this makes it one of the best investments I've ever made, since I won't LOSE anything... The money goes into the general fund and generates interest income, which - along with our other fund-raising and economizing - keeps our monthly maintenance fee low (appx $263/month presently). That $263 gives us our site (avg 50x70 feet, all with a view of the surrounding mountains and beautiful countryside) with an 8x12' storage shed (which many people finish off inside and use as an office, music studio, etc); free use of all the wonderful, beautifully built and maintained facilities, including the pool, which looks out on Mt Palomar; two Jacuzzis; saunas; beautiful library with thousands of books and over 2000 dvd's; fully equipped gym/weight room; pool room with three high-quality, well-cared-for tables; craft room; sewing room with 19 stations and a (guessing) 5'x15' work table; quilting equipment for large quilts; art center; pottery studio with two kilns; wood and metal shops fully equipped with professional grade power tools; tennis/pickleball court; airgun shooting range; and access to Friendship Hall, capable of seating 300 people, with a professional-grade kitchen, stage and dance floor. Garbage and sewer is included, along with basic cable TV, and phone service (we also have our own Verizon tower on site, from which we derive income as well as 5 bars of cellular signal). Water is included, and comes from two deep, very healthy wells, with delicious sweet water from two separate aquifers. We only pay for electricity and propane (which we get at a group rate, too low to publish!) Jojoba Hills is a Co-op, owned and incredibly well-organized and well-run by the members thru committees that attend to all the various functions of the park, with major decisions made by the Board of Directors - all of whom are members and who are elected by the entire membership. The spirit here is of volunteerism, with much of the work of running the park done by members, with help from seven full-time maintenance and office staff (a wonderful and much-loved bunch, by the way). And the best part is: we get the company and mutual support of 500 of the best, most interesting, most accomplished in every field you can imagine, people I've ever been associated with...there's a lot of love and friendship here. My wife Frederika and I moved here 1 1/2 years ago, and will need to be carried out - we will never leave unless we have to. We - and every one we know here - believes that this is as close to Shangri-La as one can get, and as far as we know, there's no place like it on earth...

Also included is storage for a second RV - many people leave one rig on their site year-round, and travel with what is often, though not always, a smaller travel rig (this alone can cost almost as much as our monthly maintenance fee). We have just acquired a 39' Teton 5th-wheel which will remain on our site and be our main residence; we will keep our 30' Lazy Daze Class C for travel and guests. I also want to add that it is always quiet here, but at night it is perfectly still, and with little ambient light, the stars are big and bright...

Pete, I've looked into something similar in Florida. However, the RV resort is not a co-op. The reason I bring up Florida is because that state has similar regulations as California regarding year round RV camping/living. Certain, shall I say, acrobatics need to be completed each year to technically satisfy the legality of those Florida regulations. Therefore, does the fact that Jojoba RV exists as a co-op excludes it from having to satisfy the requirements of the RV camping regulations in California? Your living situation with a co-op sounds better than what my husband and I have been examining in Florida.

Thank you for explaining what at first seemed like an excessive amount. It sounds like a wonderful place and I'm very happy for you, George! I'm hoping you move up quickly on the wait list. Best of luck to you 😀

All I can say is, when are the other Rv parks that serve seniors going to adopt this approach and life style to there rv park? It's time for a paradigm shift in thinking about services offered to seniors in most rv parks -- well done George in finding this park and for Jojoba listening to providing what most seniors really want in retirement. (wood and metal shops and a pottery studio -- somewhere to pay a musical instrument -- Wow, Wow and Wow they listened!

Now I can see why George is so excited -- if there was a rv park like this close to where I live I would crawl there like a man lost in the windy dusty sand storms of the desert. Starving and thirsty I would keep pressing on to reach Jojoba where my thirst and hunger for community, creativity and art would be satisfied.

There was no 'they', as in some outside entity who catered to seniors - Jojoba Hills was created 26 years ago by the people who would live here...some are still here and held in high esteem by those of us who are reaping the benefit of their vision and sweat equity. We refer to them as 'Founders', and we are so grateful for them. No 'them' will ever create something like this - only another dedicated group of 'Founders' who are willing to fight their way through all of the planning, government permitting and oversight, bone-breaking hard physical labor (there was only one contractor on the job, the rest was done by the Founders - a remarkable story...).

There are a few other Escapees affiliated co-ops in the U.S. Most are even less expensive, but not nearly as nice and well-run...Jojoba Hills is the Crown Jewel of SKP parks. Look here: https://escapees.com/parking/skp-co-ops

Thanks for the acknowledgement George! However, personally why move twice? Stay in San Diego, put the new team member in storage and wait for your name to be called. Mean while kick back, smile and enjoy your accomplishment! Sounds like you make a great deal George!